Farooq asks New Delhi to stop playing ‘politics of deceit’

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 7: National Conference president and Member Parliament of Srinagar, Dr Farooq Abdullah today impressed upon Government of India for ceasing its half hearted measures and political deceit towards resolution of Kashmir issue.
Castigating the present and previous Governments in New Delhi, Dr Abdullah said, “It is because of their persistently miscalculated approach that Kashmir has been going through the turmoil of worst kind; their repeated deception that people of Kashmir do not even have an iota of faith on Central Government and its political initiatives.”
He made these remarks at a well attended public rally in Machil today on the last day of his four day tour of the LoC areas in the frontier district of Kupwara.
Dr Abdullah expressed grief over GoIs policy and said that their continuous indifference and rigidity towards J&K and its people is breeding feelings of estrangement and dissociation among people of the State. “New Delhi should understand that iron fist and subjugation has never yielded positive results anywhere. Same is the case with Kashmir where it’s because of these things that situation has deteriorated over the years. It’s high time that the policy makers realize the gravity of situation and start to look at Kashmir empathetically and not merely as a law and order problem,” he said.
The NC president said, “Maharaja Hari Singh acceded to the Union of India on three conditions unique to State of J&K. It has been recorded and accepted in the Indian Constitution as well. So we are not like any other State in India. I have told this to many Prime Ministers and Government representatives in past. We want autonomy to be restored.”
He further added, “The best political initiative from BJP Government at the Centre would have been taking steps to restore faith of people by showing sincerity in addressing Kashmir issue. Instead there has been a well planned and executed political conspiracy to aggravate the situation by fiddling with Article 35 A and Art 370 of Indian Constitution, not once but consistently.”
He also took shots at the State Government for neglecting local governance. “I am in utter shock and disbelief that through my tour of LoC areas, I did not see a sign of Government. People’s plight has no listeners,” he said.
Senior party leaders, including NC vice president Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzaan, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani and District president Kupwara Qaiser Jamsheed Lone also addressed the gathering.